Ana Maria Pena, a music teacher from Miami, was at her third Reclaiming America conference. "It's always good," she said. "You learn new things to restore your culture for Christ."

Held at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, where Kennedy is pastor, the two-day conference was designed to show that the country was founded on Christian values, which translate into conservative action. Speaker after speaker denounced abortion, pornography and liberal politics.

William Federer, president of the Amerisearch publishing company in St. Louis, accused liberals of being intolerant toward conservative Christians.

"The Pilgrims came to America for the freedom to express their Judeo-Christian beliefs," Federer said in an interview. "How did we come to today, where we have discrimination against those same beliefs in the name of tolerance?"

Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who spoke at the annual Salt and Light Awards Dinner on Friday night, joined other leaders in calling for more helping hands.

"Everyone wants a clean plate, but somebody's got to wash the dishes," Huckabee, also a Baptist minister, said at an afternoon press conference. "We want to get people to roll up their sleeves."

Huckabee said he still hadn't decided whether to run for president in 2008, although he said supporters have often asked him to. "I'd be disingenuous if I said I've never thought of that," he confessed, but won't decide until at least January.

The conference resumes today at 8:45 a.m., with Lloyd Rees, a former attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union. Afternoon will bring Alan Chambers, president of the counter-gay ministry Exodus, and Florida Congress member Katherine Harris on "Bringing Faith to the Public Forum."

Registration today is $59 at the door. For information, call 954-334-5355.

James D. Davis can be reached at jdavis@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4730.